ROB HIRST'S DAUGHTER FINISHES THE MIDNIGHT OIL DRUMMER'S FINAL BOOK
When Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst died earlier this year, he left behind something special: a book that was almost finished.
Now his daughter, Lex Hirst, has completed it, and it arrives in bookshops this month.
It's a story about music, but it's also a beautiful story about a daughter making sure her father's voice is heard one last time.
Rob Hirst's last labour of love
Rob Hirst, who was born in Camden in New South Wales, died of pancreatic cancer in January 2026, aged 70.
He had spent about two years working on the book and was around 85 per cent of the way through when he died, the ABC reported.
It was his wife, Lesley Holland, who had encouraged him to start writing it.
About a month after his death, Lex decided to take on the job of finishing it.
She filled in the gaps with help from family, friends and fellow musicians.
Lex told the ABC she was afraid of "losing his voice or losing these small parts of him".
A book about songs, not drums
The book is called World is Almost at Peace: A Lifetime of Songwriting for Midnight Oil and More.
Interestingly, Rob asked that it not be a book about drumming.
Instead, it goes through every song he completed and recorded, track by track.
Each line of lyrics is colour-coded to show who wrote it, whether it was Rob, Jim Moginie or Peter Garrett.
It covers almost 50 years of songwriting, including much-loved anthems such as Beds Are Burning and The Dead Heart.
It also features his work with his other bands, Ghostwriters and Backsliders.
The book closes with An Upwelling, the only song in the collection that was never recorded.
What's inside
According to Midnight Oil's official website, the book includes pages from Rob's notebooks, posters and previously unseen photographs.
Contributors include his bandmates Jim Moginie and Rick Grossman, as well as musician Dom Turner.
It is published by Pantera Press, an imprint of Hardie Grant Books, and Lex is also the book's publisher.
The hardback and eBook are priced at $59.99 in Australia.
A family affair
There is something deeply touching about a daughter finishing the last chapter of her father's life's work.
For fans, it's a final chance to hear Rob explain the stories behind songs that became the soundtrack to so many Australian lives.
For his family, it's a way of keeping his words, humour and passion alive for the grandchildren and generations to come.
Writing down your own family stories
Lex's project is a gentle nudge for all of us to capture the stories of the people we love while we can.
You don't need a publishing deal to do it.
Try recording a parent or grandparent talking about their childhood, their first job or how they met their partner.
Keep old letters, recipes and notebooks in a safe place, and scan or photograph them so they can be shared.
Ask relatives to write down a favourite memory and gather them together in a simple scrapbook or photo book.
These small treasures often become the most precious things a family owns.
If you're not sure where to start, simply ask an older relative about the songs they loved when they were young.
You may be surprised by the stories that come tumbling out.
A gift for music lovers
With Christmas on the way, World is Almost at Peace could make a thoughtful present for anyone who grew up with Midnight Oil blasting from the car stereo.
It's also a reminder of how much one passionate songwriter gave to Australian music.
Rob Hirst may be gone, but thanks to Lex, his voice is still very much here.
